Telinor Forest
Telinor Forest, or Tuare ''is a large wooded area in the north west of Etan home to various races and creatures. It falls under the domain of Telinor city and the college therein. History Age of Arrival Telinor forest was settled by humanoids thousands of years ago. Druidic Elf Migration The earliest settlers in the forest were druid elves that traveled from Eschensil, arriving to serve as the protectors of the forest, maintaining a balance within and with the neighbouring creatures. These arrived before the beginning of recorded history and formed the Enclave and later the Tel Imen Lodge. These elves were immortal but few in number, they were led by an elf known as Singing-Tree who focused on keeping peace in the forest during his time leading the druids. High Elf Migration A much later event, around a thousand years before Shardfall, was the migration of High Elves from Eschensil, though they had to travel through the Silver Veil to reach the forest. These elves were led by the lord Doran, to whom the islands of Quel'Doran are named after, seeking to establish an empire akin to what their ancestors had. When they arrived in the forest they were confronted by the druid elves still led by Singing-Tree who attempted to dissuade them from making war on the peoples of Tolas. The confrontation would have come to violence if not for the belief of Doran that to slay their immortal cousins would curse their journey, the two groups parted on poor terms with the High Elves wandering west hoping to find a place to begin their empire. College Elf Migration Around five hundred years before Shardfall, elves that had learned from the god Aureon as they planned to leave Eschensil, of the world of Tolas which would serve as a place they could practice their brand of studied and established magic. This group arrived in small groups who were once again confronted by the druids of the forest, though this time they brought a gift, a seed from a great tree in the Feywilds that was sacred to the druids. Together they planted the tree in the spring of the Green River and from it grew the tree that now serves as the college of Telinor, ''Orn tel Imen. As more groups arrived the druids of the forest became concerned, so a deal was struck between these new settlers and the druids with the actual pact being written up through the magic of Green Dragons that also dwelt in the forest, some of whom shared the concerns of the druids. This became known as the Green Pact or the Dragons' Pact, which states that all who dwell under the domain of Telinor must never bring a blade to the trees for their own gain, only in the act of preserving the forest. The pact also states that the elves of Telinor can never slay a dragon within the bounds of the forest unless they are in peril. The college, which was beginning to be established at this time, agreed to the terms if it meant they could stay within the safety of the forest. The Long Night For more on this, see here. At the end of the period known as Pelor's Glory, vampire elves from the empire of Quel'Doran left their home in a mass exodus that mostly avoided Telinor due to the power of the mages there along with the magic of the Rod of Clear Skies tethering the sun above the forest that would burn them should they enter. Thousands of humans fled into Telinor Forest seeking aid from the elves many choosing to remain in the safety of the forest. Divine Era For more on this, see here. The song has changed. When the gods left us the trees began to sing anew, words of war, doom and hope. They sing of the ancient wars of the past as if it were yet to come. These are dark days indeed. -'' Am'buds, of Selenkard The Forests of Telinor were always linked with the realm of Eschensil as well as the Silver Veil, and as the gods left Tolas in the care of their stewards the Exarchs, the discovery was made that many of the wards left upon the forest were failing, only the ancient ones still tied to the moon and the magics of the college still holding strong. Creatures once thought extinct in the forest have returned, monsters and beasts of myth have returned to attack travelers and isolated communities. With this has also come the resurgence of guardians of the forest, benevolent creatures of woods and stone have resurfaced to combat the new horrors, clashing with terrors unseen for an age. Geography Trees Telinor's residents boast that it contains at least one of every tree in the known world, as well as a few from other planes. This may or may not be true, but was is certain is that the forest plays host to a great number of trees of many different kinds that are clearly not native to Etan, each seeming to exist in a microcosm environment in a grove or patch. The trees of the forest always thrive in the forest, tended to by an army of druids and rangers that keep a balance in the forest that allows the trees to reach almost unnatural heights. The Green River ''For more information on this topic, see here. The Green River is the large straight river that flows from the east of the forest to the western shore, its source is an underground spring that emerges from beneath the college of Telinor. It is named the Green River due to the many plants and algae that grow along its banks or on its surface. Tree-Shaping The art of tree-shaping was created in the settlement of Eskanir with the first generation of college migrants. The magical art spread throughout Telinor society and became the most popular way to craft furniture and structures. Throughout the forest one can find trees shaped into forms for various purposes, from traveller's rest stops to cathedrals for religious worship, almost every home in the forest is constructed using this method. Denizens Telinor and its domains Telinor city and those settlements that fall under its domain live in relative harmony in the forest and they serve as its ambassadors to the rest of the world. Some issues do arise however between the college, human inhabitants and the druids of the forest, such as with illegal logging, allocation of farmland and the political direction of the state. Paths of soft grass criss-cross the forest that serve as the roads for the settlements of Telinor, many elves go barefoot in the forest due to the pleasant feel of the grass underfoot. What areas are delegated for agriculture, are subjected to some of the most intense magical and weather manipulation techniques available to the elves, growing twice as much from a plantation of land on a fraction of the size of a farm elsewhere in the world. The towns of Selenkard and Eskanir are two of the largest settlements in the forest outside the city. Forest Creatures The forest of Telinor is filled with all manner of magical fey creatures as well as dragons and other great beasts. Routes are shaped through the forest marking where is safe for travelers to wander, and the monsters of the forest generally avoid these or are driven off by rangers. A herd of centaurs live in the forest, though they seldom make contact with others.Category:LocationCategory:LandmarkCategory:Etan Category:Telinor